San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1887-02-10
An Ohm Poet.

TED. Cincinnati; Mrs, i, Is, Plimpton'
1886.
A copy OF tho above, through tho eour-
tesy of the publisher, IL before US, While
directing our thoughts to suitable nc
Acknowledgement, tho notice of the book and
sketch of tho authors life which appears on
our first page CHANGED TO come in our way,
and supplies to large extent what wo had
in view. Yet our interest in tho theme
prompts something more. First and fore
most the book is to us memento Of, g.
"a land Of every land the pride,
Beloved Of heaven DER all 'he world beside"
or course We mean the Ohio yalloy-could
not possibly mean any other part of the
world And as included, our thoughts run
to the Queen of tho Great West, the State
of Ohio-socond only 10 our native State
| Indiana-doos she stand in our regard.
Nearly thirty -dvo years ago VIC said of her
in the Cleveland True Democrat;
Z" Gem ofthc giant Continental Chain,
Linked to the clrclet Of the" Old Thirteen"
land scarce outshono by one Of them, | ween,)
A second Pallas-oftho peoples brain
Ohio, hall raise my voice to thee
Feeble, yet fraught with reverental love.
And pray to God to watch thee from above
The home and pride OF virtuous Liberty!
The Yankee blood that runs on Erlt's shore
The Southern blood by all thy streams below
On farms In ctios-.may It evermore
In pure aud free and equal tides still flow;
Aud by our waters broad aud pastures FREQ
May all thy younger sisters follow theel"
Again, this book recalls foricbly to our
mind tho literary fame Of Ohio, and of Gin
cinnati az its center. From our boyhood
We have kept note of this, from tie pioneer
period and tho early essays in periodical
literature of Timothy Flint, Otway Curry,
VIM, ID. Gallagher James II. Perkins and
their associates and successors, including
their writings, and those subsequent, Alice
aud Phoebe Cary, etc. Soma thirty years
since tho name of Florus b. Plimpton began
to be recognized as worthy to be associated
with the foregoing list. We never knew
him personally, but were correspondents
on one or more of the magazines of that per-
iod. We have been specially attracted by
his life, mental tastes and experience as in
dicated in the work under notice, for ours
in our humber sphere have been very SINH
lar. We can therefore sympathize alike
with what he did in the walks of literature,
and also in what untoward fate held him
back from accomplishing.
We will close by quoting two poems of
Mr.. Plimpton, which have long been fay
critics of ours, and which we have hereto
fore copied. We never knew who wrote
them till we found them in the volume be-
fore us. The subjects are quite diverse,
but tho handling of each is very pleasing
SUMMER DAYS.
In summer, when the days were long,
We walked together in tho wood;
Our heart was light, our step was strong;
Sweet iiutterngs then We're in our blood, |
In summer when the days were long.
We strayed from morn till evening cnme
We gathered flowers and woyo US crowns;
We walked mid poppies red rs flame,
Or snt upon the yellow downs;
And always wished our lives the same.
In simmer when the days were long,
We leEped the hedge row, crossed the |
brook
And still her voice flowed forth in song,
Or else she read some graceful book,
In summer when the days were long.
And then we sat beneath the trees,
With shadows lessening in the noon;
And in the sunlight and the breeze
We rested many n gorgeous juno,
While larks were singing DER the leas.
We loved, and yet we knew it not.
For loving seemed like breathing then;
We found heaven in every spot;
saw angels, too, i'll MI good men,
And dreamed OF God in grove and grot.
In summer, when the days were long,
Alone | wander, muse alone
see her not: but that old song
Under the fragrant wind is blown,
In summer when the days are long.
Alone l wander in the wood;
But one fair spirit hears my prayers;
Aud half see, so glad and good,
The honest daylight of her eyes,
That charmed me under earlier skies.
In SUMMER when the days are long,
[ love her rs we loYed OF old;
My heart is light, my step is strong;
For love brings back those hours of gold
n summer when the days are long.